"Who is a Saint?" by Patrick T. Reardon/Chciago Tribune

www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-perspec-0522-saint-20110522,0,4823192.story
chicagotribune.com
Who is a saint?
Why the Vatican should ordain women
By Patrick T. Reardon
May 22, 2011

"A year ago, a friend of mine, Janine Denomme, died of cancer. We were members of the St. Gertrude Roman Catholic parish in Edgewater. We served on the parish council together.
It was painful for me to learn that, a few days before she died, Janine was told that the archdiocese wouldn't permit her to be buried out of St. Gertrude. It was one more pain that was added on to the pain of her cancer and her imminent death.
Yet, Cardinal George's refusal to let Janine's funeral be held in St. Gertrude brought greater attention to her priesthood. Newspaper readers and those who heard about Janine in other ways found out that she was willing to pursue her vocation as a priest, even to the extent of being blocked from the religious home she loved...
But, maybe, in the end, the church will win. And the rest of society too.
Who is a saint? Is it Pope John Paul II, whose official sainthood process is on a fast track? Maybe. But I never had any dealings with him.
I knew Janine. I saw how she lived her life. And, yeah, I'd say she was a saint."
Patrick T. Reardon, a former scholar in residence at the Newberry Library, is the author of "Daily Meditations (with Scripture) for Busy Dads" and two other books of meditations.